Nicaragua

Community In Action

A 4-Week Summer Abroad Program

Duration

Description

Improve your Spanish through daily instruction and learn the history of grassroots activism in some of Central America’s most socially engaged communities.

Dates

Jun 28 - Jul 28, 2020

Suggested Ages

16-18

Number of Participants

12

Availability

Closed

Begins In

41 Weeks

Land Cost

$6,550

Estimated Flight Cost

$905

Ocotal

Esteli

Leon

Matagalpa

Managua

Granada

Peñas Blancas Natural Reserve

Program Overview

Central America, a narrow strip of steaming jungles and fiery volcanoes, is the earth’s most recent major land formation, and a melting pot of cultural and biological diversity.

At its heart lies Nicaragua, the “land of lakes and volcanoes,” and a hotbed for innovative community response to the rapid changes of globalization. With an emphasis on community based learning-service, intimate home-stays, and exceptional language instruction, our Nicaragua program allows students to learn directly from community activists, famers, and NGOs working for social justice and sustainability.

In the picturesque colonial city of Esteli, we deepen our understanding of Spanish language and the burning social issues of Latin America while immersing ourselves in the warm hospitality of latin culture through intimate home-stays. On the island of Ometepe, we summit the Concepcion volcano and visit lush coffee and banana plantations that skirt its base. In the highlands of Nicaragua, we settle into the hamlet of El Lagartillo where families invite us into their humble, solar-powered homes to share meals and discuss their visions for a brighter future. Over the course of our…

At its heart lies Nicaragua, the “land of lakes and volcanoes,” and a hotbed for innovative community response to the rapid changes of globalization. With an emphasis on community based learning-service, intimate home-stays, and exceptional language instruction, our Nicaragua program allows students to learn directly from community activists, famers, and NGOs working for social justice and sustainability.

In the picturesque colonial city of Esteli, we deepen our understanding of Spanish language and the burning social issues of Latin America while immersing ourselves in the warm hospitality of latin culture through intimate home-stays. On the island of Ometepe, we summit the Concepcion volcano and visit lush coffee and banana plantations that skirt its base. In the highlands of Nicaragua, we settle into the hamlet of El Lagartillo where families invite us into their humble, solar-powered homes to share meals and discuss their visions for a brighter future. Over the course of our two-week stay, students dive into independent study projects (ISP), perhaps playing music with the local band, acting with a socially conscious theater troop, or cooking in a giant adobe oven. In the afternoons, we study Spanish with professional teachers before cooling off in thunderous waterfalls.

After heartfelt goodbyes, we travel south for a learning service project with Los Quinchos, an organization that takes children off the streets of Managua. Dragons Nicaragua program provides rich cultural immersion that allows students to gain a deep understanding of important social issues facing Latin America while greatly improving their Spanish language and exploring new skills in sustainable development.

Program Components

Comparative Religion

The role of the Catholic Church in Latin America, the impact of Evangelicism, and exploration of philosophies emphasizing environmental sustainability and communal well-being.

5/5

Development Studies

Focus on communal models of development and localized management of resources; examination of globalization, privatization, and U.S. - Latin America relations.

5/5

Focus Of Inquiry

Land-based social movements and the local response to the globalization of labor, land, and economics.

4/5

Homestay

Two weeks of homestays split between urban and rural setting. Community stays in national parks.

2/5

Independent Study Project (ISP)

Work with local farmers to plant, harvest, milk, and manage animals. Apprentice with a local band, theatre group, and artist guild in mural-painting, or ceramics. Cook out of a giant adobe oven.

5/5

Language Study

Two weeks of formal small group (2-3 student) language study for four hours per day and opportunities for language immersion throughout. Language programs are customized for students.

4/5

Learning Service

Volunteering in El Lagartillo around community-based development and sustainable technology. Farm work on coffee and/or dairy farms and work with Permaculture design. Possible work with "Los Quinchos" project working with children who live off the city dump. Approximately 20 hours of service credit earned.

Testimonials

“There have been so many different vibes and opportunities in just one month. I can safely say that this course is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Ella Pepper

Nicaragua: Community in Action

"This has been an incredible experience and has exceeded my expectations by far. This has definitely been a journey that I will never forget. My home-stay was probably the most impactful experience, not just because it was the largest portion of the trip but because there was so much to learn there."

Minah Choi Nicaragua: Community in Action

"I thoroughly enjoyed this trip, as it challenged me on an emotional level, and completely immersed me in different lifestyles within the same country."

Halina Bennet Nicaragua: Community in Action

"I loved getting to interact with people we met in Nicaragua. Hearing peoples' stories along with speaking one on one with new people was very powerful. I loved getting to hear about how people built businesses, views on politics, and their daily lives. I feel that this is an amazing way to practice Spanish skills and learn about local culture."

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A Closer Look

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Everything about this trip has been amazing...

“Everything about this trip has been amazing. It has been extremely enlightening, and academically progressive. I have felt myself thinking about things that I would have never thought about before, and trying things I never would have.”

Ella Pepper Nicaragua: Community in Action

Community

A group of people living together. A TV show with my favorite rapper Donald Glover. My school class of 180 students. These are the words that I associated with “community’’ before I visited El Lagartillo. I remember having always hated that word but I never really knew why – it was one of those words that frustrated me with a definition that I couldn’t quite grasp. The closest thing I have to a community in New York City is sadly, my synagogue congregation of almost 1,000 members, a group of people who I regrettably see only twice a year. And out of those 1,000, I can safely say that I only know three: my mom, dad, and sister. There is absolutely nothing “communal’’ about the only community I’ve ever known.
But community is in fact the only word that can possibly describe El Lagartillo…town and village don’t quite fit. Though there are thirty-four houses in El Lagartillo, there are really only two or three families in the entire pueblo. Quite literally, every person in El Lagartillo is related by blood or by marriage; neighbors are siblings, cousins, parents, and grandparents; friends and family members are synonymous. Such a phenomena is almost inconceivable in the U.S., perhaps only imaginable among Amish communities. This community of only 100 members is really just one enormous family.
Maybe the family like nature of El Lagartillo is the explanation for its deep-rooted communal ties. After all, there really is no sense of possession in a family. Just as spouses share money, siblings share toys, and children and their parents share food, members of El Lagartillo share everything they own. Doors are always wide open, welcoming friends in at all times of the day. The idea of knocking, let alone notifying a neighbor in advance of a visit, is utterly unimaginable. One man walked into my host mom’s house, grabbed an onion from her cutting board, and started chopping it with her knife before scooping it up and sauntering out the door. Most Americans would regard this incident as something completely out of the ordinary, but add the fact that my host mom was not even present at the time and others would consider it criminal. There are Americans who would call the police if their neighbors entered their homes unannounced, even without taking anything at all. Another older man entered my host mom’s house and sat down at her kitchen counter without even acknowledging her. He remained in his chair with his head resting in his hands, sitting in silence. After five minutes of this, he finally muttered a few words about money, and suddenly decided to leave. People are so close with one another that they can endure an awkward silence without question, with the comforting thought in the back of their minds that doors will always be open to friends seeking conversation, an onion, or just a place to sit with a friend eager to listen to an eerie silence.
Now I realize that I’ve always hated the word “community’’ because I never fully understood what a community was. I couldn’t accept the word for what it was without knowing what it even meant. I regret to admit that it has taken me a trip all the way from New York to Nicaragua to realize that “community’’ has no definition – it cannot be described or labeled except by the fact that you know it when you see it.